Review of Comixology
Most Comixology reviews are being lumped in with a list of the best digital comic apps. Yes, Comixology has an app for your mobile phones and tablets but it is so much more.
The company started out as a website for comic fans to talk about their passion and organize their book purchases. From there they have quickly been adding features making themselves one of the most popular online comic spots on the internet. Although blogs, discussion boards, and pod casts are all available it is their comic purchasing features that has brought them the most attention. Comixology has become the number one digital comic seller on the web. This is due to their contracts with many of the largest publishers including DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Top Cow and many others. They also have a “pull” feature which allows readers to have their pull list sent to a local comic shop for pick up. Any true fan realizes the importance of supporting their local shop. Beyond helping small business, these shops are a place where friendships are built and a personal community can be formed.
The Review
Digital Comics are where Comixology shines. They have the best digital selection I have seen. All of your purchases are stored on their website, which makes them available wherever you go. If you have the app on your cell phone or tablet you can directly download any of the issues you have purchased onto your device. This comes in handy when you don’t have access to wifi. The reading options are flexible and easy to use. The panel to panel viewing feature scrolls smoothly and I love the fact that I get to see the full page before it zooms in. Many times the panel layout is just as spectacular as the artwork.
Comic prices vary but usually they are .99¢, $1.99 or $2.99. They have a free comic section. Most of these free issues are previews or the first issue of a miniseries. They are useful if you are curious about getting into a story line but not satisfying as individual stories. It is worth keeping your eye on, because every now and then something worth while pops up. Recently I was able to get Detective Comics #27 and Sensation Comics #1. The stories did not hold up over time but it is fun to read the original story of both Batman and Wonder Woman. My biggest complaint about their online selection is they do not have many compilations, making it more expensive. I bought Batman Hush digitally from Amazon for $9.99 but if I wanted to buy this story line on Comixology I would have had to buy 12 issues of Batman separately at a $1.99 each. This would have been more than double the price that I paid on Amazon.
Although Comixology started out as a hub for comic book fans to come together, it is by far their weakest section. It is difficult to navigate and find what you are interested in. The layout is boring, especially compared to their dynamic comic shop. It feels as if it was hastily thrown together and then forgotten about once the more profitable digital comic store opened. Their blog is all about what they are selling and the podcast is okay, neither of them have me wanting to check in on a regular basis. The columns might as well be listings on Craigslist. You are going to get a much better community of artist by joining groups on established social networks and blogging sites.
Apps
I have Comixology on my IPhone and Kindle Fire. I rarely used it on my phone. The graphics are great and controls smooth but the small screen is prohibitive. It works for large dialogue boxes but not for the small lettering often used in the caption boxes. I love it on my Kindle Fire. The control viewing options let me set my reading experience for optimal enjoyment and it is easy to find the comics I want to peruse.
Although I have not experienced any problems using Comixology on my Kindle, there are a lot of people who have. Users tend to give high praise to the app on Apples products, but they are not as happy with the android version. They experience glitches when downloading their comics and charging mistakes when shopping. Thankfully, I have had nothing but a good experience reading comics on my Kindle Fire.
The Link
If you are interested in checking out the site yourself, I have included the link below.
I hope you enjoy your digital comic experience.
